Lost Valkyrie, part four.
By Zurgin.
About Heidi Anderson, from the story DemonLust.

______Heidi made it through her first week at Angel Systems. She was picking up things easier and faster than she had thought she would. If anybody noticed that Angelica was giving her some kind of personal attention, no one said or implied anything. That Friday as she was getting off of work, she got a call from the angel to stop by for a minute. She did.
______Angelica reclined in her chair with her legs crossed on her desk, and asked, "What makes you think an increase in appetite is unusual?"
______The blonde answered, "It's not just a change in the desire to eat. I'm eating more than I ever have and its all stuff I didn't used to eat." She explained further: "I've always been a lite eater, and a healthy eater. I know it sounds silly."
______The other woman said, "Your e-mail hinted that you were concerned that this might be a symptom. It probably is. You're more than likely to change physically, and that will require eating more food. Have you noticed anything else?"
______"No," answered Heidi. 
______"You will. And probably soon," said the angel.
______The two women talked a bit more, then Heidi left for the weekend.
______The rest of the second week went almost as well as the first. Heidi's appetite continued to gradually increase. That Friday she did something that she would not have thought possible a week or two earlier; she went out at lunchtime and filled up on cheeseburgers and french fries. When she got home that evening, she was hungry again. She ate a large dinner and went to bed early. Saturday morning she went to the grocery store and bought a lot of food. A lot. She went home and ate. She ate three more large meals that day. She ate five large meals Sunday. When she got up Monday morning to get ready to for work, she only drank some coffee. "I'm going to put the brakes on this, " she told herself.
______ After she got out of the shower and dried off, she looked at her naked body in the mirror, searching for the signs of new body fat. She looked as trim as ever. There was something different about the way she looked, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She weighed herself, and suppressed a gasp. She had gained over ten pounds. She studied herself closely in the mirror again, and realized where the new weight had gone. She was a bit thicker. Her arms, legs, chest, and shoulders seemed to be slightly larger than they had been. She decided that she was just filling out. She had not been eating well for quite a while, and her body was just getting back to where it should have been. She went to work and put it out of her mind.
______For the rest of the third week, the blonde continued to eat more. She dismissed it. That weekend she tried to resist again. This time it was a lot harder for her to do. Sunday night before bed, she looked at herself in the mirror again, then weighed herself. She could not deny it any longer. Her body was changing, not just getting back to normal. She had gained more weight, and not an ounce of fat.
______Heidi looked at herself closely in the mirror. Her body was getting thicker, and now it was obvious that her muscles were gaining in size. She noticed a slight six pack in her stomach, and the rest of her overall muscle tone seemed to have increased. Her upper body seemed to have grown the most. She raised her arms over her head and watched as the muscles moved. She was growing larger.
______When she got to work she sent Angelica an e-mail and got a quick response: "Get your butt up here."
______"What have you noticed?" the angel asked. "I assume its good."
______Heidi explained. Angelica looked her over, then said, "You do look different."
______The blonde removed her jacket to reveal a sleeveless blouse. Angelica said, "I see."
______The angel didn't surprize the blonde with her next question: "Have you gotten stronger? You've always been unusually strong, so if you're growing like that, your strength should be growing also." She said this in a manner that was matter-of-fact.
______Heidi said, "I don't know. I suppose I should see if I am. I've decided to go on a diet and see what happens, see if this stops or reverses."
______The angel nodded in agreement and advised, "Do what you think you should."
______The other woman replied, "You don't think it will work, do you?"
______Angelica answered, "I wouldn't know. But if you do go on this diet, you'll find out. I think you should keep on eating. But eat good food, not junk food. And try to find out if you're getting stronger."
______Heidi was getting a bit annoyed. She had expected moral support, but Angelica seemed to be ambivalent. The blonde was deteremined to bring her appettite under control.
______The rest of the week was a battle. Heidi ate only certain things, and limited her calories as much as possible. By Friday she had gotten down to five hundred calories a day. She hated it. It was beginning to effect her mood. She went home that day without her usual five o'clock visit with Angelica.
______The blonde found the weekend even more difficult, but she managed it. That Monday morning she looked at herself in the mirror and couldn't see any difference. At least she hadn't grown any more. Or so she thought. She weighed herself and cursed. She had still gained weight; over five pounds. She felt a knot form in the pit of her her stomach, which was already feeling empty after the small breakfast she had eaten an hour earlier.
______When she got to work she though about e-mailing Angelica, but decided against it. She would go on with her diet, and see what next weekend would bring.
______Heidi made it to Friday. It was time for afternoon break. She was wearing another sleeveless blouse with her favorite jacket, and one of her long skirts. Her sleeveless blouses were one of the few things she had left that didn't feel tight when she was wearing them. Her pants and skirts were okay. She kept her jacket on all day, as usual. She wasn't sure if she had finally quit getting larger, but the muscles in her body where now even more toned.
______The blonde's mood was no better. She almost snapped at Buzz a few times, but managed to bite her tongue. Buzz noticed, however. That morning she had said, "You really ought to quit this dieting thing, ya know. You don't need it and its starting to make you buggy." Heidi came very close to informing Buzz that the only thing buggy that she knew of was somebody nicknamed Buzz. She didn't though. She wanted to, but she didn't. 
______Heidi went to the breakroom at break time for a cup of coffee. There were about twenty people present, including a guy who worked on the first floor. His name was Jason and he was one of those guys who 'worked out'. He was in good shape, and he had challenged anyone there to an armwrestling match. He seemed to do this every other Friday. So far, no one had been able to beat him. Nobody present seemed willing or interested. He asked a second time, repeating his guarantee of and immediate rematch to anyone who lost. As he was going through his routine, a woman who had stopped by from one of Angelica's other businesses entered the breakroom for something and said, "I'll do it."
______The woman was wearing a sleeveless top and slacks, and it was obvious that she kept in shape. Heidi noticed that her muscle tone was excellent. She might be able to pull it off. The woman introduced herself as Vandella, and sat down across from Jason at the only small table in the breakroom. It was ideal for armwrestling. Everyone gathered around to watch, secretly rooting for the woman. Heidi decided that she would root for her too. Jason, in the blonde's opinion, gloated a little too much when he won, and seemed quite convinced that he was unbeatable.
______The two opponents placed their elbows where they thought best, grabbed the outside edge of the table with their other hands, then clasped their right hands together. Buzz volunteered to start them. She asked, "Are you ready?" Both contestants nodded yes. She announced, "Three...two...one...go!"
______The two went at it. Jason quickly got the advantage, then overwhelmed Vandella with his greater strength. The two seperated their hands, and Vandella shook her arm. Heidi didn't know anything at all about arm wrestling except for what she had seen on television, and she knew that part of Jason's secret was his technique. And of course, he was a fairly strong guy.
______Jason asked his opponent if she wanted a rematch. The woman agreed. The second time she did a bit better, but the end result was the same. Heidi knew that the woman had to be fairly strong, but Jason was just too much.
______Vandella rose, shook Jason's hand, and went over to the snack machine. Jason continued to sit at the table looking quite pleased with himself. Friendly boos filled the breakroom. At that moment, Angelica came breezing in to get something, her hair flowing behind her in a golden wake. Jason asked, "Would anyone else like a shot?" There were no takers, apparently. "Oh, come on, I can't be that invincible," he said, half-kidding and half-bragging. As Angelica breezed by the group on her way out, she said, "Heidi."
______"Who?" someone asked. As the golden mane disappeared out the door, the angel repeated, "Heidi."
______All eyes in the room turned to Heidi. She found Jason looking up at her with a quizical look on his face. He asked, "Think you can take me?" Then he grinned in a way that irked the blonde. His grin said, "Don't even think about it." Heidi politely tried to decline. The others wouldn't have it. Buzz egged them on. The blonde felt herself starting to get annoyed. She had almost decided to just walk out of the breakroom when she remembered who had nominated her: Angelica. Heidi knew why, too. Her top boss wanted her to test her strength, and if she beat Jason, it would put him in his place.
______Heidi looked around the room, and her eyes met Vandella's. The other woman nodded at her. The blonde looked at Jason and asked, "Do I get a rematch if I lose the first?" Jason, looking a little surprized, answered, "Sure. Have a seat."
______A few more people entered the breakroom to watch. Jason rarely ever got more than one challenger at a time. Heidi hesitantly removed her jacket. They would now know that her broad shoulders were not an illusion created by the jacket. The jacket's sleeves would be too restrictive for arm wrestling. They wouldn't have been two or three weeks earlier.
______The removal of the jacket revealed a pair of arms that were not as toned or as muscular in appearance as Jason's arms were, but were of the same size if not slightly larger in thickness. Heidi had always had the kind of musculature that seemed to hide beneath her skin until stressed. When she tensed her muscles, though, they seemed to spring into prominence, revealing their true size and shape very clearly.
______The blonde sat down across from Jason. He said, "Well, let's go." The two contestants situated themselves, and their right hands clasped together. Heidi presented a hesitant expression on her face, but she had a plan.
______Buzz asked, "Ready?" Both opponents nodded, and Buzz announced, "Three...two...one...go!" Jason's attack was fast and hard. Heidi resisted, but her arm was already bent backwards at a fourty-five degree angle. The crowd watched as she seemed to almost stop the attack, but then watched as her arm slowly went down to touch the table top. She jerked her arm away and rubbed her elbow, a slight frown on her face. Jason smiled at the blonde as if his victory had been inevitable. Heidi half-heartedly smiled back. Jason asked, "Rematch?" His tone indicated to everyone that he didn't think the blonde would agree to a second match. Very few people had ever taken him up on his offer of an immediate rematch, and when they had, they had always lost.
______Heidi looked like she was going to decline the offer when Buzz blurted out, "Go on, Heidi. Kick his ass!" Buzz had no use for Jason. The blonde looked at the others in the room, and her eyes met those of Vandella. The woman very slightly raised her eyebrows.
______Heidi turned, faced Jason, and answered, "I guess so." Jason seemed a little surprized. He said, "As you like, blondie. But before we begin, a bit of advice." He continued in a slightly condescending tone: "What you're doing is defending. You should be on the attack. Don't wait for me to come after you and then try to respond, come after me with everything you've got as fast and as hard as you can. Show no mercy." Heidi nodded and said, "Thanks."
______The two contestants clasped hands again and Buzz asked, "Ready?" Both nodded agreement. Jason tried to look Heidi in the eyes, but she looked down at the table in front of her, an expression of concentraton on her face.
______Buzz announnced, "Three...two...one...go!" Again, Jason sprang to the attack. This time, however, the result was different. Heidi's arm only moved back about half an inch, then stopped. Jason put more effert in his attack. He was really trying now. He had lost any element of surprize, and would simply have to overpower his opponent. The blonde continued to resist. Jason threw everything he had into the attack. It was obvious that he as really having to fight this time. Heidi's arm slowly started to give way to her opponent's onslaught, and it looked like Jason was going to win. The blonde appeared to be struggling as hard as she could, her head down and her teeth clinched. The muscles in Heidi's arms had become apparent. Jason was serious now. Heidi's right arm was getting close to the forty-five degree angle it had been at when the first match had started. The others in the breakroom were completely silent. More than a few had thought that Jason may have finally met his match, and from a female no less. It looked like Jason was really having to work for it, but he was going to win again. Heidi knew otherwise.
______Heidi had used the first match to get an idea of Jason's technique, and more importantly, his strength. She had resisted his first attack on intuition and reflex, not knowing his power, and more importantly, not knowing her own power. When she had learned what she needed to know, she had let him win.
______When the second match began, the blonde tested Jason a second time. She used what she had learned, and made Jason come after her seriously. She knew her opponent now. She pretended to struggle like it was the greatest fight of her life, and Jason applied more and more effert. Her arm moved backwards, but not because she was matching her opponent with less strength. When her arm reached the fourty-five degree angle again, it stopped. Now it was Heidi's turn.
______Something seemed to have awakened in the blonde. She looked up at her hand, and Jason felt an increase in the pressure of Heidi's grip. She wasn't just gripping his hand for the purpose of the fight, she was starting to squeeze the man's hand. Heidi now tensed the muscles in her upper body. What before had been vage shapes now became prominent forms. The blonde continued to match her opponent with apparent earnestness, but also continued to stress her muscles purely for the purpose of making them show. The individual muscles were now clearly visible. Her right arm remained rock steady.
______Jason was now fighting with what looked like everything he had. He was shaking and sweating, and his breathing was getting faster. The blonde was perspiring only slightly, and her body was as steady as if it were made of stone. She knew that the right time had come.
______Heidi didn't increase the pressure on her grip, but now she increased the tension in her muscles to the point where she was exerting more effert to do that than fight Jason. There were quiet gasps in the room. The powerful muscles in the blonde's arms and shoulders buldged, their hidden size and strength now unmistakeably clear. The gasps came from the fact that Heidi was obviously demonstrating the fact that she was so strong she could easily hold Jason in check despite his best effort, and still have enough strength left over to put on her display of muscles.
______The blonde's right arm, its muscles buldging and swollen, began to slowly and irrestably move to the woman's left, taking Jason's arm with it. The man was struggling furiously. He was so absorbed in his efforts that he didn't notice the show that Heidi was putting on. He didn't know what everyone else in the room knew: That his opponent was much stronger than he was. He didn't know what the blonde knew: That she had at least three times his strength, if not more. He didn't know that she was considerably stronger that she had ever been, even when she had been in top shape a year ago.
______Jason's arm touched the table, and Heidi released her grip. As she did so, she relaxed her muscles as completely as she could. Applause broke out, and the blonde received slaps on the back and utterings of congratulations as she stood up. Jason rose, trembling a bit, a funny look on his face. Heidi wondered if he were going to get angry, but he didn't. He asked her, "Do you work out?"
______"No," the blonde answered. "Just healthy living and swimming every morning for half an hour before breakfast," she lied. Heidi's eyes met those of Vandella, and the other woman gave her a strange smile. "She knows," Heidi thought.
______The breakroom began clearing out, and Heidi returned to her cubicle. Buzz looked at her with new respect, and said, "You're going to have to share that diet with me. Good god!" The blonde was still standing and was draping her jacket on the back of her chair. There was little point in putting it back on now. Her secret was out.
______The blonde's body was still slightly flushed from the exertion she had put out, and her muscles had not quite gone completely back to their hidden place beneath her skin. Somehow she knew that they wouldn't. Heidi knew that something in her body seemed to have been awakened during the second match.
______As Heidi sat down in her swivel chair, Buzz said, "Show me." The blonde looked at her questioningly. Buzz raised her right arm straight out and made her hand into a fist, then brought her forearm up and back, her fist almost touching her shoulder. She had a grin on her face.
______Heidi frowned at her co-worker for a second, then looked around to see if anyone was watching. No one was. She extended her right arm out straight and made a fist. She curled the fist upward, then tensed her muscles. She brought her arm upward like Buzz had done. The arm buldged. Buzz smiled in appreciation.
______Heidi straightened her arm back out and looked around again. She formed a fist again. This time she tensed her muscles hard, like she had done during the second arm wrestling match. The muscles now stood out in stark relief, almost like an illustration in an anatomy drawing. As the blonde brought her forearm up and back slowly, Buzz could see the true size of Heidi's arm. The blonde's upper arm swelled, her bicep buldging into shape and the other muscles moving and shaping themselves. The impression of considerable strength was undeniable. Buzz gawked. What she and Heidi didn't know was that if the circumference of the blonde's upper arm at the point of her bicep's greatest thickness were measured at that moment, almost seventeen inches would have been recorded.
______Buzz said again, "Good god." Heidi lowered her arm and said as she got back to work, "Don't tell anybody."
______Heidi went home that day feeling strange but good. She was very hungry. She ate well that night. The diet had been forgotten.
______The blonde slept well and deeply, and dreamed of power.